Forbidden
by xFantasyDreamerx
Summary: Everyone thinks Sakura's life is simple and easy... but what if she has been hiding something dark from the world until now? SasuSaku fic.
1. Chapter 1 - Intro: A Dark Secret

**Author's note –** Before anything, thanks for reading this fanfiction! I had published a fanfic not long ago, but I ended up deleting it because I didn't know where to lead the story. This time, I was given a main plot idea by a user that preferred to remain anonymous, and developed a SasuSaku story from there. Don't expect a lot of romance in this first chapter, since it mostly works as an introduction.

There are some Japanese honorifics and expressions present in the text. In case you don't know the meaning of certain words, there is a basic Japanese phrasebook at the end of the page.

Enough of keeping you waiting, happy reading!

* * *

It was a sun soaked morning of summer in the bustling village of Konoha. The start of a day at the village was always filled with noise, euphoria, and energy, and that day wasn't any different. The Hokage mountain, located in the northernmost area of the Shinobi populated village, protected Konoha from all harm, like an everlasting wall that symbolized the Will of Fire that eternally burned within the souls of the deceased Hokages, as well as the current's.

Far from the energy of the core of Konoha, four figures emerged, entering the gates that welcomed them to their hometown. The gatekeepers recognized the quartet, and rapidly granted them access to enter the village. The tallest in the group, a silver-haired man who hid his face behind a mask, waved to the two guards as a form of gratitude. Accompanying him were three young Shinobis, each very different from the others.

The shortest ninja had blonde hair, blue eyes and three trademark whiskers that made his face very recognizable. He wore an orange and blue tracksuit with the crimson spiral of the Uzumaki clan in the back, that… didn't quite fit his size. He displayed a proud grin, presumably due to his good performance in his previous mission. Apparently, he had been bragging about his success on the task the whole way back to the village, much to his teammates' great annoyance.

"Oi, Sasuke! Face it, teme: I did way better than you on the mission!" – he bragged, much to his teammate Sasuke's nuisance.

"Do everyone a favor and shut that pitiful mouth of yours" – Sasuke replied neutrally, yet visibly irritated.

Sasuke Uchiha was the tallest out of the young squad. He sported his dark hair spiky in the back, and wore a blue t-shirt with a fan on the back, which was the traditional symbol of his clan: The Uchiha clan. He also wore white shorts that contrasted the rest of his overall dark colored garment. Unlike his reckless and clumsy teammate Naruto, he was extremely fancied by girls and envied by most boys. However, he didn't care. All he wanted was to get stronger and eradicate _a_ _certain ghost from the past._

Completely distant from the loud conversation between her two teammates was Sakura Haruno, a green eyed, pink haired girl that was completely fascinated with Sasuke. She was the only female in the squad, and most times, the voice of reason. She was usually very energetic and driven by her emotions, often fiercely smacking Naruto in the head when he acted stupid, just like he was in that very moment. For some reason unknown to her team, she was very silent and still. Her face was expressionless, blank even. In her deep, green eyes, a sparkle of sadness could clearly be seen. However, the blonde and the raven-haired were too busy arguing to notice their teammate's unusual behavior. The masked man in charge of the squad, Kakashi Hatake of his name, was the only one to notice his student's expression.

"Sakura-san, is something the matter?" – he mildly asked, trying to be the most discreet possible. The pink turned to him, clearly upset.

"N-no…" – she said, reluctantly. She wasn't a good liar – "I'm just tired because of the mission".

Kakashi was well aware that Sakura was lying, but preferred not to pressure her too much. After all, it could be something personal, or maybe she was just depressed because of something Sasuke did.

"Hum, alright then" – he vaguely whispered.

The two boys of the team were still fighting ferociously, completely ignoring the fact that, wherever they passed, pedestrians laughed at them in a not so discreet manner. Kakashi sweat dropped in shame, while Sakura simply stared at the ground blankly. Luckily for their reputation, Sasuke was the first to notice how everyone around them were pointing their fingers at them, provocatively. He stopped the argument immediately.

"Oi, teme! Too weak to keep up with a man like me!? Hah! I should have expected something like this coming from you!" – the blonde mocked. Sasuke sighed irritably.

"Shut up, dobe. Look around you" – he replied simply.

Naruto turned around and saw that the whole village had been laughing and poking fun at their childish fight all along. His cheeks reddened slightly for a brief instant, but his pride spoke louder and his face returned to its normal color again. The blonde offered the jokesters his back and continued walking, trying hard not to seem embarrassed.

Team 7 walked for a few minutes, until they reached the Hokage building. Kakashi proceeded to inform the team of their performances in the mission:

"Good job on the mission, all of you. Naruto, your chakra flux control is much better and it's evident that you've been training a lot recently. Your level is near, if not equal to Sasuke's" – he began with the blonde troublemaker, who grinned cheerfully, adjusting his headband with pride.

"Sasuke, you're a lot better as well. You've managed to analyze combat situations more carefully and now you can counterattack more precisely with your Sharingan" – the Uchiha simply listened to his evaluation, not surprised.

"As for you, Sakura…" – he began, with a slight change of tone, much to Sakura's grief – "You did well too, but I somehow felt like you lacked some spontaneity when it came down to battle. You were too hesitant, and you could have injured yourself seriously if one of us didn't cover you" – he finished, with Sakura staring at the ground, sadness written all over her face.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei" – she agreed, as a way of promising she would train harder.

"Well then, that's my cue to leave. Team 7 is dismissed now" – he added, using the Substitution Jutsu to leave the area.

"Now that Kakashi-sensei's gone, what should we do?" – Naruto asked.

"Whatever you want. I'm going training" – Sasuke replied, almost instantly, much to Naruto's disappointment.

"Ugh, you're always the same annoying, _I'm better than everyone else_ baka! – he contested, crossing his arms in annoyance.

Sakura simply looked expressionlessly at her two colleagues for a few seconds. She then proceeded to leave the area without pronouncing a single word. Only then Naruto and Sasuke noticed that there was something wrong with the girl of the group.

"Huh, Sakura-chan? Where are you going?" – the blonde asked, quite worriedly.

"I'm going home" – she replied in a distant voice, without even looking back. Now that was something truly unusual when talking about Sakura.

"Are you okay? Now that I notice it, you've been acting strange ever since we left the mission".

"Don't worry Naruto, I'm fine – she lied, trying not to worry her friend – "I'm just tired because of the mission, so I'll rest a little at home".

"O-Okay…" – the whiskered replied, yet still not fully convinced – "Then, see you tomorrow Sakura-chan".

"Bye Naruto, Sasuke-kun" – she waved, without facing the boys.

And before they knew it, Sakura had disappeared into the endless crowd that filled Konoha at that hour of the day. Both Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other in complicity.

"There's something wrong with Sakura-chan, ne?"

"Of course there is" – Sasuke agreed seemingly uninterested, in his usual harsh manner.

"Well, I don't feel well letting Sakura wander around like that. We should find out what's wrong with her!" – the orange ninja suggested.

"You go and find out whatever you want" – he replied, coldly – "I'm off to training".

"You know what!? Go and don't come back, you heartless teme!" – Naruto shouted, shocked at his comrade's coldness.

Sasuke walked away, pretending not to have listened to the last commentary. He didn't need to worry about such time wasting things. It wasn't an obligation nor an order. He did whatever he wanted to, whenever he wanted to… But somewhere deep in his cold, unreachable soul, he felt a small, almost imperceptible, sparkle of concern and grief.

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V**

And so I left them behind, off to the place I call home. I pretended not to notice, but I couldn't help but sense that Naruto was worried about me. Damn it, I shouldn't have been so obvious… I was trying my best to hide it, but it was way stronger than me, and before I knew it, Kakashi-sensei was asking me if there was something wrong with me… Baka Sakura… You worried your comrades, and so what now? If I know Naruto well, he's probably going to try and figure out the reason to my sadness. I can't blame him. He's a good friend, which means he cares for his comrades… Kakashi-sensei seemed concerned too… Basically, everyone was worried about me. All _but_ Sasuke. Cold, emotionless, blank Sasuke. Sometimes, I wonder why I like him… His only concerns are training and power, he doesn't care about me whatsoever, and is just so distant… But whenever he's in danger or says my name, my heart beats as if it was about to blow up. And then, it only helps me realize that I love him, and can't do anything about it. I'm in love with Sasuke Uchiha, and I'd be lying if I denied it.

Sometimes I wonder why Sasuke-kun doesn't like me back. Back in the Ninja Academy, there was this strange rumor that Sasuke liked girls with long hair. Without hesitating the slightest bit, I immediately began to grow my hair out. At some point, the length of my hair was at a level that could be considered 'long', just the way he liked it. But he didn't give me any special treatment even after that, so it turned out that it was all a fake myth. However, I still cherished and preserved my hair the best I could, in hopes that my crush would still notice me. But it was all in vain, since I had to cut my hair mercilessly during a battle in the Forest of Death, during the second part of the Chunin Exams. My most beautiful attribute had been taken away, but I did it all to protect him. I hoped he would notice this, but little or nothing did he even care. But at the same time, I feel like the reason to him not liking me is not related to my appearance. It must be something about me, about the way I act… Maybe I'm usually too loud and cheerful for him? No… it mustn't be that. Perhaps it's my fangirling that annoys him? It _does_ bother him a bit, but he seems to live on with it… Then… if it's none of these three options, then **why does Sasuke hate me?** Which of my countless flaws turns him off so much?

And then, I came to a realization that changed my view on everything.

Or perhaps… I know the reason… I know why Sasuke-kun hates me so much. It's because he thinks I'm **weak.** I'm always helpless in missions, I act like a total damsel in distress… And don't even get me started on my hesitancy in combat… He thinks I'm the most useless, helpless, piece of garbage to ever walk the surface of Earth… He must think my parents forced me to take the Shinobi career so I could keep up with the other kids or something of that kind…

 **Sasuke-kun, you're so wrong.**

No. My parents did not force me to follow the ninja career for social purposes. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I forced myself to chase that dream. If it depended on them, nowadays I would probably be stuck inside four walls, spending the rest of my days as a young housewife. And no, this is not laziness of my part… **They enslave me.**

Ever since I was a small child, I would pretend to be a ninja, using forks as kunais, rather than spending time playing with dolls or helping my mom do the housework. Dad would just sit in the sofa all day long, watching TV while fattening disconcertingly by gutting endless potato chips bags. Mom was forced to conform to his gluttony and buy him more food whenever he wanted to. If she disobeyed him, he would beat her up hardheartedly, and if I ever dared to step along to protect her, he would beat me up as well. Both me and mom were terrified of living with such a hellish man at home. Sometimes, she would even try to contact the authorities, but he would always find out, which only resulted in more violence.

Mom was my only ally at home, the only person I could rely on. I grew to dislike my father, but couldn't bring myself to hate him. He was a terrible man who deserved to rot in prison, but I couldn't help but to get reminisced of the fact that he was my dad, and I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for his existence. But one night, I regretted my every excuse for his actions. **It was the night that my mom started abusing me as well.** She was so frightened by my father that she eventually went mad, insane even. She completely lost conscience of her actions, and before I knew it, I was being bullied by her as well. They would harm me for no reason, just because they felt like it. But something that wounded me even more than their physical bullying was how they crushed my dreams as if they were mere pieces of scum.

* * *

 **[Flashback – One night, four years prior to Sakura's actuality]**

"I seriously can't stand how you make such fools out of us!" – her mother snapped, breaking plates and other pieces of porcelain while making her way to her pink-haired daughter, that trembled with fear in the other side of the room. When she approached the 9 years old girl, she slapped her with all her might, making Sakura shed tears, not of pain, but of fright.

"So now you cry! You completely ignored your father when he ordered you to clean the dishes!" – she screamed, her face burning red with anger.

"B-B-But m-mom… - she stuttered, trying to explain herself, yet being unable to due to her devastating fear. She was abruptly interrupted by a cruel smack to the head.

"No 'but'! You had more than enough time do it!"

"W-We w-were dismissed l-later than usual f-from the Academy…" – she mumbled, once again trying to explain her motives to her insane mother.

"WHO CARES ABOUT THE ACADEMY!" – the woman shouted, smashing a plate to the ground – "I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR REASONS, YOU HAD A TASK TO DO AND YOU DIDN'T DO IT! SIMPLE AS THAT!"

When Sakura thought the situation couldn't possibly get any worse, her father, who seemed to be heavily drunk judging by his facial expression and the empty beer bottle he carried in his hand, stepped in.

"What's with all this show, woooooman?" – he asked groggily, making her daughter's eyes widen in shock.

"It's our **useless** daughter!" – she shouted – "She had chores to do, and she didn't do any of it because she came late from the Academy!" – the plastered monster she called her father smiled eerily at the chance he had gotten to beat his daughter.

"Oh, she did thaaaat? How shameful! **This little trash shouldn't even be a ninja!** " – Sakura's heart broke in pieces upon hearing those words – "Just look at her! Helplessly crying like the deplorable little kid that she is! How do you expect someone like her to ever become a Shinobi!?"

"We should just drop her out of that hell hole! – her mother added, with equal malice – "She shouldn't even be attending school, she should be a housewife! We're greatly damaging our status as a civilian family by allowing our daughter to be a ninja! THAT'S IT! TOMORROW YOU'RE QUITTING THE ACADEMY AND YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO BE A GOOD WOMAN!" – Sakura cried desperately. She knew what her mother meant with that. Her father was the living definition of machismo, and for him women were just mere ambulant pieces of meat that only mattered to him to do chores.

Sakura prayed to herself in a state of pure terror, hoping that one day, someone would save her from that living hell she called home.

* * *

 **[End of flashback – Back to Sakura's point of view]**

I couldn't help but shiver at the thought of remembering those terrifying moments. Anxiety burned in my throat, and I had to take deep breaths a few times to regain composure. I'd much rather bury those memories forever in the past and just move on, but it's not easy at all, especially because, once in a while, incidents like those repeat themselves, only with different motives. Now that I think about it, I **am** strong. All this time, and I have yet to reveal to someone about this dark secret of mine. I've never told this to anyone before, nor do I intend to ever do it. Not even Ino, my best friend, knows it. Everyone thinks my life is easy and that I've never experienced pain in my life, but they couldn't any more wrong. In some way, I feel like I relate to Naruto and Sasuke. They may both be orphans while I'm not, but I honestly live my life like one. And in a way, I'd much rather be parentless like them than having such an abusing family. I shouldn't even think this, because Naruto and Sasuke would probably sacrifice their own lives if it meant getting their parents back… but then again, any parent can be better than mine.

I'm always under pressure to do my very best in missions because my parents cherish their social status and fame much more than they value me, but sometimes I just can't do it and end up getting in trouble with them. Lately, they've been enslaving me more than usual, and as soon as I knew I did bad on the past mission, I immediately panicked because I knew what I was going to get once I arrived home... and for the first time in a long while, I couldn't help but reveal my sorrowful feelings by displaying sadness. They pretend to be nice, understanding parents whenever they're in public, but they're only lucky that no one has found out about the way they treat me yet. I could easily report them to Tsunade-sama and free myself from this hell, but they would probably find out sooner or later and I would be in a really bad shape… So I guess I'll just endure all of this by myself for the meantime.

Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't even realize that I was standing right in front of the door that led into my house. I gulped anxiously and reluctantly unlocked the door lock with my keys. I didn't even bother greeting my parents, and I knew they wouldn't care about it anyway. I walked straight into my bedroom, craving a relaxing nap. But needless to say, I couldn't, for the worst motives.

"Sakura" – a tenebrous voice creeped behind my back. I immediately knew it was my mother, and that made me shiver in worry.

"H-Hai…" – I replied vaguely, waiting for the worst.

"I just received your mission report" – she said in such a gruesome manner that it nearly caused my heart to stop beating. I lowered my head in shame, closing my eyes forcefully, hoping that it would somehow prevent something bad from happening.

"We're ashamed and disgusted" – my father walked in, with a severe expression.

"You have no idea how much I want to beat you to a pulp right now" –mom said angrily, much to my despair – "And you're more than lucky that I won't, since someone has recently reported us for mistreating you and I don't want to stain our status" – my mouth widened at this. Who could that person be? And how did it find out? But that was something for me to uncover later.

"But don't worry, we've got just the one thing to relax you" – my father said with a crooked smile. That couldn't mean anything good.

"W-What?"

"Sakura Haruno, pack your bags, because you're leaving Konoha forever".

"Huh!?"

 **To be continued…**

* * *

 **End note:** And that was the first chapter! In summary, this was more like an introduction, presenting the main event of the fanfiction and Sakura's dark background. Be sure to leave a review with your opinions, it greatly helps me improve and allows me to know the weak and strong points of my compositions. Once again, I thank the anonymous user that gave me the main idea of the fanfiction. Chapter 1 to be published soon!

* * *

 **Japanese Phrasebook**

Teme – imbecile, idiot.

-san – polite honorific used to refer to someone that you're not acquainted with. It's also a form of a teacher to treat a student, for example.

Hai – yes.

-sensei - honorific used to refer to a teacher.

Baka – idiot, stupid.

-kun – used to treat mostly young males. It can also be used by girls who cherish a certain boy, mainly in a romantic way.


	2. Chapter 2: An Ancient Law

**Author's note –** And after a small wait, here's chapter 2! Actually, this is officially chapter 1, as the first installment was just an introduction to the story. I have been pondering about the number of chapters that the fanfiction is going to contain, and as for now I have decided that it will probably have somewhere between 5 and 6 chapters of length. I already have the whole story in mind, so chapters will start to come out on a weekly basis from now on! Also, don't forget to leave a review with your opinion on this fanfiction!

Now go and enjoy the story!

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V**

"Sakura Haruno, pack your bags, because you're leaving Konoha forever"

"Huh!?"

I couldn't believe the words that came from my mother's mouth. She was a monster that forced me to live a hellish life, but now that was too much!

"What are you saying!?" – I shouted, unable to hold in my emotions – "Why!?"

"I am saying that you're going to leave Konoha forever! Are you deaf!?" – she screamed wrathfully, completely getting on my nerves.

"That's not what I asked! I asked 'why' I'm going to leave Konoha! – I replied, visually upset. My mother's cold response was accompanied with a mighty slap that made my cheek redden and burn.

"Watch your mouth, you piece of trash!" – she said in such a cold manner that it seemed to freeze my heart – "You're leaving Konoha, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"But… why…?" – I could merely ask, in the most miserable voice.

"You've proved us that you're more useless than we imagined it" – my eyes widened in hurt – "Me and your father came to an agreement, and we decided that if you failed one more single mission after your last fiasco, we would sell you off to Kumogakure" – with this, my heart stopped beating. My mind was thoughtless. I couldn't see straight either. It seemed like my whole body had frozen. The only emotion that I could feel in that moment was **pain.** Cold, hard pain.

"…But…" – I tried to complain, but words simply got stuck in my throat, refusing to state my opinion. This only allowed my father to burn my wounds even more.

"There's no possible argument, so just shut up" – he said, his eyes burning with hatred – "You did a great job proving yourself to be the most worthless scum to ever walk the surface of the Earth, **congratulations** " – I suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to cry. To just simply cry until there was no more agony in my soul. But tears couldn't even begin to abandon my eyes. My soul was so consumed with grief, that it had hindered any of the pain that I felt to be released to the outside. I was being forced to struggle with my inner pain, without having the possibility of letting it go. I was being told that I was worthless and pathetic, and that thought completely possessed my mind and had convinced me that it was all true.

Suddenly, my pain faded mysteriously upon remembering something… or better, someone from the past.

* * *

 **[Flashback – Sakura as a young child]**

I sat down on the floor, letting all of my pain get out in the form of crying. All by myself. No one was there to be with me, and much less to be my shoulder… I was all alone.

I felt empty, inside and out.

Academy was just so unfair. If it wasn't already enough having dad terrorizing me and mom at home, trouble had also chased me all the way to my social life. Kids made fun of my forehead, because it was too big. Some even said they could fit a poster in my forehead without a problem. Because of this, I started pulling my hair to the front, forming a fringe, in order to try to hide my biggest flaw. Nevertheless, the jokes didn't stop there, and that couldn't have been any sadder for me.

And there I was, crying all alone. I didn't mind it. No one was there to watch me… and if someone was, they wouldn't shake off of my tears. They would make fun of them.

When suddenly, I heard a voice behind me. A voice that was unknown to me, which caused my heart to beat hurriedly.

"Why are you crying?" – that surprised me. The voice, unlike all of the others that I had already heard in my life, was strangely warm and concerned, instead of cold and ruthless.

"I-It's nothing…" – I lied. I wasn't a good liar.

"Now, you don't have to lie" – she said, slightly impressing me – "Please, show me your face…"

I redundantly turned my crying face to the voice's. I didn't want to show my tears to anyone, but I was afraid that she would hurt me if I didn't do as she said. I turned around to discover the face of a girl around my age, displaying an intrigued look and clear, blue eyes that revealed a sparkle of concern.

"Oh! I know who you are! – she said, somewhat astonished – "You're Sakura Haruno, aren't you? You're the girl with the big forehead…" – the last part of the sentence hurt me, and I once again returned to my crying. The blue eyed blonde seemed worried at this, and clumsily tried to excuse herself – "Sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you… It's just, what can I say, I was surprised…" – I didn't give the girl an answer. She merely sighed uncomfortably, visibly regretting her earlier actions.

And suddenly, I was met with the first hint of kindness that someone had ever gave me.

"Here, have this" – she said, handing me something that I wasn't quite sure of what it could be. I then turned around to face her, and saw that she was offering me a red ribbon. I gasped, not knowing how to respond to such an action.

"Hey, you don't want it?" – she asked, somewhat confused. I couldn't help but to reply to her kind offer.

"N-No, it's not that…" – I said timidly, taking the ribbon into my own hands – "A-Arigato…" – in the blonde's face, I could have sworn to have seen a light smirk.

"You don't have to thank me. I think the biggest problem with your forehead is you hiding it" – my mouth widened in shock. What did that mean? I was being teased for that exact reason – "Yes, it does sound weird, but that's just how it is. Hiding who you really are won't make it any better, so just go and show the world that you're confident about the way you look".

"But… why are you doing all of this for me?" – I couldn't help but ask, still amazed. I had my motives. In a world where no one cared about me and treated me like the most useless piece of trash, why should I trust someone who suddenly popped up with a ribbon in hand?

"It's simple, klutz – she said in such an easygoing tone that I didn't even get offended – "I can't help but make flourish such a beautiful flower" – my eyes teared up again, but this time of joy. I couldn't contain myself, and before I knew it, and I was nearly strangling the girl with a warm hug that I had long wished to offer to someone. She smiled clumsily, yet showing sympathy – "Now calm down, you're going to choke me..."

"Arigato! Arigato!" – I said thankfully, releasing the embrace. The blonde girl simply smiled at me, seeming to understand my overwhelming emotions.

"Well, I have to go now, Sakura" – she said, waving at me as a way of saying 'goodbye' – Bye!"

Only after she called my name did I realize that she hadn't mentioned her name yet.

"Wait!" – I suddenly screamed, interrupting her walk.

"Huh?" – she turned around, puzzled.

"You haven't told me your name yet…" – I said, shyly. Her response was preceded by a fond grin.

"Ino. Yamanaka Ino" – she revealed – "Remember the name well".

I smiled back at her. "Hai! See you around, Ino-san!"

"See you, Sakura-san" – she waved at me, fading in-between the falling cherry blossoms.

* * *

 **[End of flashback]**

Upon remembering how my first friend in the world had told me to always to be true to my own self and have confidence in my instincts, I suddenly regained my stance and faced my two hateful parents, who looked at me as if wanting me to fall even deeper into the depths of sadness… but they weren't going to get it from me for any longer.

" **I'm not going".**

Both my parents' hateful expressions suddenly transformed into stunned ones, but they were quickly replaced with indignity.

"What!? How dare you say that!? Of course you're going!" – my father screamed on top of his lungs, wanting to induce me to fear whatever was coming next.

"No. I am not leaving Konoha" – I repeated, with just as much confidence. My parents were, very surprisingly for me, actually disturbed. But my mother counterattacked with all that she could.

"Shut up!" – she screamed angrily, trying to land on me a slap that seemed very powerful by its aspect. Too bad for her, I gracefully dodged it, without losing balance. My confidence enraged my father, who came down at me with all his might. I, however, avoided his attack just as confidently as I did with the prior. I could sense the rage in their hearts, but at the same I knew they were too insecure to try to attack me again.

"I do whatever I want" – I stated in a clear voice – "As soon as I became a ninja, I earned the right to take care of myself on my own. That being said, I can live perfectly by myself if necessary" – my father clinched his fists, possibly with murder in mind.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET AWAY WITH THIS!" – he screamed, consumed by wrath – "WE'LL REPORT THIS TO THE HOKAGE, AND WHEN WE DO, YOU CAN FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE, YOU LITTLE TRASH!" – I reacted neutrally to the violent response. I wasn't expecting anything different coming from my father.

"YOUR FATHER IS RIGHT" – my mother joined in, with just as much fury – "WHEN WE RETURN HOME, YOU CAN EXPECT ME TO BEAT YOU UP LIKE NEVER BEFORE! GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" – she screamed in a deafening voice, pointing tremblingly to the exit door. Without another word, I accepted her _kind_ offer and left the nightmarish place that I called home, leaving behind an arguing couple that had, for a mere coincidence of fate, caused my existence.

* * *

 **Sasuke's P.O.V**

I could hardly believe what I had heard. So that was the reason for Sakura being upset… I honestly didn't even know what to think. I missed my parents, and I would do anything if it meant getting them back… but they were good parents. Yes, my father was strict and would sometimes underestimate me, but he still cared deeply for me and miserable Itachi… But those people… they are not worthy of being called **human,** never mind **parents.** How did Sakura hold this secret for all this time? I always thought she was just a weak, crybaby minded girl who had never experienced the slightest pain in life. Tsk, guess I was wrong…

Suddenly, I saw Sakura storm out of her house in such a disturbed manner that she didn't even notice that I was standing right beside her house, running away to somewhere unknown to me. I got a quick glimpse of her eyes, and I could have sworn I had seen tears. At this sight, I felt my chest bump roughly. I was quite surprised by my uncommon reaction, but suddenly all that I felt was interrupted by yet another thought: 'I have to follow her'.

'Tsk… I better go and see where she's headed to… she might get in trouble…' – I thought, running off in a fast pace, trying to reach my reckless teammate.

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V**

My overwhelming struggles to not cower before my abusive parents were being paid in the form of endless crying, that I tried to hide by choosing the most discreet paths. I ran away headed to as far as I could. I had no destination in mind. I simply had to get out of that house and breath some fresh air. Before I knew it, I was standing on the training field, where my journey as a ninja had begun. I sat down, lying my back on one of the trunks in the middle of the field, where I cried against my hand for a few minutes.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of steps: a sound that I wasn't expecting to hear on a moment like that. I tried to fight back some of the tears that I had yet to shed, and rose my chin only to discover…

 **Sasuke-kun!?**

My train of thought crashed, and so did my heartbeat. The boy who I was in love with, who also happened to be the coldest person I knew, was standing there, staring at **me** with such painful eyes? Was that some kind of mirage?

"Sasuke-kun…?"

"I heard everything" – he said simply, much to my inner shock. I immediately understood what he was referring to.

"How did you…?" – upon realizing what I was implying, I sworn to have seen, only for a split second, a slight blush on Sasuke-kun's cheeks.

"Hmph, I don't owe you an explanation…" – he grunted, trying to hide his true motives. I simply smirked sadly, my eyes staring at the grass below my feet. For some moments, we just stood there in silence, waiting for one of us to break the ice.

Much to my great surprise, Sasuke was the first willing to continue the conversation.

"I heard your parents saying that you're being sold off to Kumogakure…"

"And I probably am…" – I whispered, apathetic – "They are in charge of me as long I am not considered of legal age…" – I said disappointingly, regretting not having been born only a few months earlier.

"That means you can't argument against their decisions as long as you're not 14…" – he concluded, with a severe expression.

"Hai…" – I whispered, my eyes trembling with tears inside of them – "But my 14th birthday is in 11 months, so my age can't be considered 14 in any way because we're not even in that year yet…"

Sasuke covered his mouth with his thumb forcefully, but I still heard him sigh in what seemed to be grief. That was a brand new feeling to me… Like for the first time in my life, **Sasuke was actually worried about me.**

"Listen up. Only this time, I'll help you out of this mess" – he said seemingly uninterestingly – "If I don't, Kakashi will torture me endlessly with his team support moralities" – I rose my chin again, this time with a bit of hope in my heart.

"Arigato, Sasuke-kun… but how are we going to do that?"

"We need to talk to Tsunade before your parents" – he stated firmly – "If they reach her before us, chances are Tsunade will not trust us as much. It's already bad enough that we're both underage".

I still couldn't believe Sasuke... no. Cold, carefree Sasuke, was actually putting himself in such a delicate situation that didn't have anything to do with him just for my own sake. I blushed a bit at this thought… Could that mean…?

"Are we going or not?" – he asked, somewhat arrogantly. Only then did I notice how long I had been staring at the ground.

"H-Hai, let's go" – I said, standing up confidently. It was almost unbelievable how Sasuke made me feel brave enough to face a challenge and stand up in the darkest moments of my life when all I wanted to was to sleep through danger… this Uchiha will always be a mystery to me.

* * *

 **Scene Skip (Sasuke's P.O.V) – Sasuke and Sakura in the Hokage building, talking to Tsunade**

"I see…" – Tsunade whispered thoughtfully, her locked hands covering her mouth and nose.

"What will happen to me, Tsunade-sama…?" – Sakura said, her eyes unable to hide the insecurity that she felt.

"This is a very complicated case…" – the Hokage said, visibly worried – "I would be able to do something about this if you were of legal age…"

"Then, couldn't this case be maintained in suspense until I reached the age of 14?" – Sakura asked, overly hopeful.

"Sadly, no. Decisions like these must be taken in the maximum limit of 6 months" – she explained – "And even if it could be helped, there's still something else…" – Sakura's eyes widened at this.

"What is it?"

"Even though you're officially a Shinobi, your descent is still from an all civilian family…"

"And what consequences does that hold?"

"…There is…"

Tsunade's speech was suddenly abruptly interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open violently, only to reveal the two people that we less wanted to see in that moment: Sakura's parents.

"Hokage-sama!" – started her mother, in a fake upset voice that didn't fool me – "Please, listen to us!"

"Oh, what a surprise it is to see the two of you…" – Tsunade said sarcastically with an irritated expression, probably because she was aware of how these seemingly innocent people were actually monsters that tortured their own daughter.

"Please Hokage-sama, I know what this looks like!" – her father started, getting down on his knees – "We did make _some_ mistakes while raising our daughter, but we can't live without her!" – he lied, much to my disgust. I shot him an indiscreet glare of superiority, which he returned with just as much intensity. Sakura simply trembled in the background, probably wishing to dig a hole for herself.

"I'm already aware of the whole situation" – Tsunade answered, reprovingly – "And I know about how you both mistreat your daughter. Before she even told me about it" – both Sakura's parents gulped in fake shame, and I couldn't help but to smile pleasantly at seeing those two monsters begging on their knees for mercy. Only then did I notice the last part of the sentence... Did someone report on Sakura's parents? But that was something for me to uncover later.

"O-Our most sincere apologies, Hokage-sama! We are profoundly sorry!" – they both said in synchronization. I guess they do make a beautiful couple of scums.

"I do not tolerate this type of behavior in Konoha" – Tsunade stated firmly, her gazing eyes never leaving Sakura's parents' – "What you've been doing to this young girl that you gave life to, your own daughter, it is pure parental abuse" – both adults sweat-dropped – "And for these acts, I punish the both of you to…"

"Hold up!" – Sakura's mother suddenly snapped, standing up rather aggressively before the most supreme figure of the village – "What about the all civilian families' rights!? Did you forget about the consequences this can produce!?" – she continued to shout, spitting while screaming.

"First of all, you don't talk to me like that" – Tsunade stated firmly, facing her in an almost unnerving way – "Show some respect to a figure of superior status and dialog like a civilized adult" – with this, the woman's exaltation seemed to decrease, but it wasn't enough to keep her filthy mouth shut.

"But what about the civilian rights? You must be well aware that breaking the laws of the sacred _Civilian Rights Document_ is going to get Konoha into bad conflicts with the Shimingakure government…" – my eyes widened. Shimingakure was the home village of nearly all of the civilian families currently living in Konoha. In the past, Shimin and Konoha formed an alliance in which the Shinobi of Shimin helped Konoha in anything military involved, while Konoha had to receive all the excess of population that kept the economy of the village down. But there's more to it. Shimin set a law agreement with Konoha that implied that all civilian families from Shimin had special rights… Sakura's family had Shimin descent.

Tsunade seemed to be aware of the consequences just as much as me. "… _The Document_ …" – she whispered, thoughtful – "It is undeniable that we have a problem here" – Sakura's trembling only got more intense than ever upon hearing this – "The special laws contained within _The Document_ can't be ignored…" – Sakura's mother smiled foully.

"And there is a specific article in _The Document_ that grants us a _certain_ special right…"

"…Article 13…" – Tsunade whispered, in utter defeat. I sighed irately. That couldn't mean anything good.

"Indeed" – Sakura's father stepped in – "Could you please read it out loud, so our daughter can listen clearly to what it says?" – he continued provocatively, staring dreadfully at his own daughter, who was now fighting back some tears. Did that filthy portion of a man even have the smallest bit of sense?

Tsunade bit her lip, clenching her eyes in frustration. She was clearly upset about having to deal with the rules written inside the pages of that half rotten, dusty book. _"Article 13 of the Civilian Rights Document: Civilians with Shimin descent residing in Konohagakure are allowed to have any potential off-spring as Shinobi from the aforementioned village, but will be in charge of them until reaching the legal age of 14. Until this, the civilian parents are allowed to make all types of decisions for their successors, which includes laboring, marrying, and…_ \- I felt Tsunade hesitate in disbelief – _…other decisions such as migrating and being present in other villages in minimally good terms with both Shimin and Konoha. Parental company is not obligatory in any of the two last cases"._

With this, Sakura gave in and bursted into tears. I could hardly blink and my breath was stuck in my throat. Tsunade frowned, staring guiltily at her desk, her locked hands covering her lips. On the other hand, Sakura's parents didn't seem guilty at all. In fact, I could have sworn to have seen them exchanging complicit glances, evil grins forming in their lips. If I could, I would have punched the living crap out of them, but I forced myself not to do it, since Sakura and the Hokage were both in the room and Tsunade had yet to state the official decision.

"So, Tsunade-sama? What are you going to say?" – the filthy man asked, hiding a malicious smile in the shadows of the corner of the room. The Hokage let out a guilty sigh, pausing for an instant. Then, she rose her chin and faced the two expectant civilians. She unlocked her hands and laid them on her desk: a signal that she was about to announce something of true importance.

"I have taken my decision" – she stated. She shot a guilty glare at a crying Sakura for a brief instant – "Sakura Haruno is leaving Konoha in a maximum timespan of 3 weeks".

 **To be continued…**

* * *

And this is the end of the second chapter! I thank every single one of you who have spent some of your time reviewing, favoriting, following or simply reading the fanfiction! It makes me immensely glad to see that people appreciate my work, and that bursts my creativity to the edge, so keep your evaluations coming! Remember to report any potential grammar errors, as I may eventually commit some due to me being a Portuguese writer composing in English.

Chapter 3 is coming in exactly one week (5th August, 2016 – London Timetable), so be sure to check it out when it's published!

Thanks for reading my fanfiction! Cya! :3

* * *

 **Japanese Phrasebook**

Teme – imbecile, idiot

-san – polite honorific used to refer to someone that you're not acquainted with. It's also a form of a teacher to treat a student, for example.

Hai – yes

Baka – idiot, stupid

-kun – used to treat mostly young males. It can also be used by girls who cherish a certain boy, mainly in a romantic way.

Kumogakure – a fictional Shinobi village in the Naruto universe, ruled by the Raikage. Its English translation is 'Hidden Cloud Village'.

-sama – an extremely polite honorific used only to refer to someone highly respectable such as a boss or a lord of some kind.

-sensei – used to refer to a teacher or an instructor.

Shimingakure – a hypothetical Shinobi village in the Naruto Universe famous for its endless number of civilians and strong military. It was created only for this fanfiction, and it is not canon in the manga nor the anime. Its English translation is "Hidden Civilian Village" (yeah, I know right XD).


	3. Chapter 3: Twists and Turns

**Author's note –** Here's chapter 3 for you guys! I'm really thankful for all of you who have rated the story, it always fills me with joy when I know that people enjoy my work! This chapter is going to be focused on Sakura's struggle with the Shimingakure laws and her attempt to avoid her dark fate. But it turns out that Sasuke also has reasons to be worried…

Without any further additions, go ahead and read the chapter!

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V**

"Sakura Haruno is leaving Konoha in a maximum timespan of 3 weeks"

My heart froze upon hearing this. Was I actually hearing that? Was that the path that my life was going to take? Was I really going to spend the rest of my days working as a slave for the Kage of a foreign village? Having to leave my friends behind **forever?**

"Could my life possibly get anyone worse!?" – I let myself scream, unable to hold in my emotions. My parents stared at me, evil smirks on their lips.

"Your life is not bad, _sweetie_ " – my mother said, as if outraged.

"No, it **is** bad!" – I argued, clinching my fists in frustration – "Wherever I go, it seems that trouble always makes its way to me! And you don't help at all! All you do is mistreat me, and act like I am the most shameful piece of scum! Now tell me, is my life half as great as you pretend it to be!?"

"Oh honey, don't say such things to me and your mother!" – my father stepped in, with just as much fakeness – "Everything will be alright! There's no need for you to stress up!"

"I am sick of this!" – I snapped, running out of that hellish room that I had been trapped in. My life was upside down and torn apart, and I didn't know where to head to anymore.

* * *

 **Sasuke's P.O.V**

What the hell was happening!? Was Tsunade actually going to agree with the proposal of those two lifeless fools!? I couldn't even believe it, and so did Sakura, judging by the way she stormed out of the room. At that point, thoughts of violence-driven revenge rushed through my mind, but I had to swallow them down. I wasn't about to go full strike on Sakura's parents. They hadn't done anything wrong to me. Only to Sakura. And that was when I started wondering why the hell was I even standing there: in a place where I wasn't needed, in a case where I wasn't even involved. Why did I even guide Sakura to report on her situation? That had nothing to do with me. All I need in my life is training, so that I can spill the blood of the man that slaughtered my clan. Nothing else. But somewhere in my subconscious, I felt like I **had** to be there, even if it was none of my business. It wasn't like I was worried about Sakura or anything…

Wait, what did I just think!?

My breath got caught up in my throat, unable to leave it. Only then did I realize it. **I was worried about Sakura,** and that was the reason why I was there in the first place… It all seemed very strange and unusual. I usually don't much care for the sake of anyone else other than my own. That was of great rarity. But with that, did it mean that I…?

All these thoughts rushed through my mind at the speed of light, but they were suddenly cut down by something aching in my chest.

 **It was my pride. It had been wounded.**

And before I knew it, I was screaming out useless squeaks that I had never imagined I would ever let out over anyone else other than me.

"What the hell have you done!?" – I screamed with all my anger, my eyes burning with hatred gazing into Sakura's parents'. They very noticeably shivered in fear, unable to let out a single syllable. That was just what I wanted. To seem them cringe, kneel before me, make them feel inferior like the filthy rats that they were, for once.

"Sasuke, calm down" – Tsunade tried, much to no avail. I was angry. Very angry. Too angry to even as much as hear straight. They wouldn't get away with what they had done if they even tried.

"No" – I replied, my eyes never leaving Sakura's parents' shivering figures – "I won't forgive them. They won't get away with this" – I continued. I felt the Cursed Seal, which Kakashi had apparently tried to suppress, take over my conscience as it slowly faded away.

* * *

 **Tsunade's P.O.V**

"Sasuke! No! Calm down!" – I screamed anxiously, in hopes my despaired shouts would reach him. Needless to say, they didn't. The Cursed Seal had broken loose, and now there was nothing else I could do but to stop it somehow. Which I didn't know.

" **I'm going to kill you"** – he said in such a murderous voice that it caused me to tremble slightly. But I couldn't just stand there and listen to his bloody threats. I had to do something about it, and save the civilians of my village from being torn apart by the reckless, fury-driven Uchiha survivor.

"Stop it right there, SASUKE!"

But it was too late. Before I even had time to understand what was happening, Sasuke was already beating the living crap out of the two abusive adults, which I had to admit was fair, but I couldn't allow it to happen. Without a second thought, I stood up from my chair and rushed in to try to knock him off. It was the only way he could get back to his normal state of mind. But he was faster, and when I tried to grab him by the arm, he threw me away to the wall with all his strength, his possessed eyes sparkling flames of hatred and mercilessness. For a split second, I felt like I was going to pass out due to the knock that my head had taken. Luckily, I resisted and recomposed, returning to my fighting stance. As soon as I was heading out for Sasuke to knock him out, someone slammed the door open.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V**

I could hardly think straight. My whole body was frozen. But suddenly, I was snapped out of my own thoughts upon hearing:

" **I'm going to kill you"** – it was Sasuke's voice. Colder than I had ever heard him talk. I panicked inside, because I knew he actually meant it. Upon realizing this, I ran through the hall, struggling to get to the Hokage office in time before something bad happened.

When I was finally a few centimeters away from the door, I heard what appeared to be a hit on a wall and a groan of pain with Tsunade-sama's voice. With this, I slammed the door open, fearing for what I was going to witness when I opened the door.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

And then I saw what he had done. I couldn't even believe it. Sasuke had lost total control of his conscience because of **me?** The entire room was upside down, broken objects scattered through the floor. Sasuke was completely out of control, his body covered by dark marks. I then saw that he was consumed by the Cursed Seal.

"Oh no! The Cursed Seal!" – I screamed in worry. But Sasuke wasn't even listening to me. He was consumed by wrath, and I was struggling to get an idea to return him to his normal state… until suddenly, when I didn't know anything else to do, I relied on my instincts and suddenly…

 **I was embracing Sasuke tightly.**

"Sasuke-kun… please stop…"

With this, Sasuke stopped trembling, and seemed to calm down. The Cursed Mark left his body, and before I noticed it, he was back to his normal state.

"Sa…ku…ra…" – he whispered weakly, falling to the ground, unconscious, making me lose my breath.

"Sasuke-kun!" – I screamed in despair, lowering myself towards him, my hands supporting his head.

"He's okay now, Sakura" – I heard Tsunade say. She seemed to have recovered from her collision – "It is natural that he passes out after using the power of the Cursed Seal with such intensity. Your parents are only slightly damaged, and they will be fine within a few hours in the hospital – only then did I notice that my parents were okay. I was too worried about Sasuke to even care about them – "I'll send them to the hospital, you go and rest for a while" – I nodded my head in agreement.

"And don't tell anyone about what just happened here. If anyone asks you, pretend you weren't aware of anything" – she said, suddenly.

"I'll do that… but why?" – I asked, confused.

"Rumors spread quite fast, Sakura" – she stated, with a severe expression – "If this reaches the earshot of any Shimin citizen other than you or your parents, they could easily report on Sasuke to their leader and get him - and Konoha - into a lot of trouble" – my eyes widened in shock. I was actually feeling ashamed of being a descendent of Shimingakure…

"You have my word, Tsunade-sama" – I vowed politely – "I'll pass by the hospital later today to check on Sasuke-kun and my parents".

"Fine… and… about _The Document…"_ – Tsunade hesitantly started – "I'm sorry you had to go through all of this, Sakura. I've already assured your parents that you're leaving Konoha, but I'll still try to do something about it one last time… As long as this event remains between us, there is still a chance that you won't need to leave the village" – my eyes shone brightly with hope upon hearing this – "But don't get too excited just yet, we don't know what's ahead of us".

"Arigato, Tsunade-sama!" – I thanked her, on my knees out of respect.

"You welcome. Now go and get your so deserved rest, farewell".

"Hai".

With this, I left the room, on to my house, trying to forget the horrible incident that had taken place only minutes before.

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Naruto walking around Konoha at the end of the afternoon (Naruto's P.O.V)**

I couldn't help but think that Sakura-chan had been acting very strange in the morning. It was everything but normal. She was usually always cheerful and happy, but that morning she seemed so sad and… defeated. I was very worried and confused. I had to find out what was going on with her, and quick!

Suddenly, I stumbled against someone while I was walking.

"Agh! Watch it, -ttebayo!"

"Oh! Gomen!" – it was a female voice… a very familiar voice. I opened my eyes only to reveal none other than Sakura-chan, who still seemed distant and saddened, just the way she was in the morning.

"Oh, it's you Sakura-chan! I was thinking about you just now, ya know!" – I said, grinning.

"Is that so?" – she asked while pulling me up, looking somewhat worried. What for? – "Why?"

"You've been acting strange ever since morning, and I couldn't get that thought out of my head all day – I admitted, massaging the back of my head.

"Oh, Naruto…" – she said, somewhat upset by my comment – "It was just a tiring day. There is nothing wrong with me, really. So don't worry about me, okay?"

"Huh… but you seem so upset… how am I supposed to believe you?" – she sighed in frustration at this, much to my confusion.

"Well, I may sometimes appear to be upset when I get tired. That's all there is to it" – she didn't fool me, but I decided not to pressure her any longer. I knew there was something bothering her, but whatever it was, I was going to have to find it out by myself later.

"If you say so…" – I gave in. In her face, I could clearly see a look of relief – "Hey, where were you heading to?" – the relieved expression was rapidly replaced by a look of hesitancy.

"Erm, nowhere in particular. Just a walk to breath some fresh air" – she was clearly lying.

"Well, I was going to Ichiraku just now, if you haven't had dinner yet, why don't you come and eat with me?" – I asked, in hopes she would accept.

"I haven't eaten yet, but… I didn't bring my wallet" – she said, quite unhappy.

"No problem, -ttebayo! It's all on me" – I said, giving her a 'nice guy' thumbs-up.

"But… is it fine with you?"

"Yeah, of course it is!" – I reassured her, with a grin, trying to cheer her up" – Come on, let's just go and get ourselves a bowl of ramen, dattebayo!"

This seemed to cheer her up slightly. "Hai, arigato Naruto"

"Heh! It's all good, Sakura-chan!" – I said.

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Naruto and Sakura eating ramen in Ichiraku (Naruto's P.O.V)**

"Itadakimasu!" – I screamed, before starting to devour my pork ramen.

"Itadakimasu" – Sakura-chan said as well. She took small, long bites of her miso ramen. Girls are always so weird with their food! Why don't they just eat it all up at once? Much easier.

None of us said a word during the meal. Me because I was too busy swallowing my ramen, and Sakura because… well, who knows… When we were both finished with our bowls, I tried to break the ice and ask her the first thing that came to my head, which wasn't that good of an idea…

"Ne, have you seen Sasuke today again?" – I saw her blush, and I immediately guessed the answer.

"Hai..."

"Really? What was he up to?"

"Just training" – she said, with a small smile that was clearly faked – "You know how he is".

"Yeah" – I also faked to agree, not convinced at all.

Then, I decided to do something risky.

"Sakura-chan… ya know, I've already got it that you don't want me to know whatever is bothering you, but… if you still don't want to say what it is, at least tell me what I can do to help you out" – her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly recomposed.

"Well… so you really want to know that much?"

"Yeah!" – I said almost instantly. That was my biggest chance to know what was wrong with Sakura-chan!

"Please be aware of this, Naruto: by telling you this, it means that I trust you deeply, and I expect you not to reveal this secret to anyone… So please promise me, from the bottom of your soul, that you will keep this between us" – she said, looking very serious. It was kind of worrying me, but I figured it must have been of great importance for Sakura to care about its privacy so much.

"Hai, I give you my word".

"Well, let's just get out of here then" – she said, standing up from her seat. Only then did I remember that I had yet to pay for our meals. I checked my pockets for my trusty wallet - Gama-chan – and prayed that I had enough money to pay for the two bowls. Bad for me, I was missing 1 stupid ryo.

"Geez, you've got to be kidding me -ttebayo! I should seriously start checking how many coins I bring inside Gama-chan…" – but the problem was another. How was I going to pay?

"So, Naruto and Sakura-san! How were the meals?" – Teuchi-jichan stepped in, scaring the living crap out of me.

"They were great as always, Teuchi-san" – Sakura replied way too politely for my own liking.

"Erm… g-good!" – I replied, nervously.

"Oh, why thank you! Huh, is something the matter, Naruto?" – damn it. Teuchi-jichan noticed…

"Weeeeell… I'm afraid I haven't brought enough money to pay for the two of us…" – I admitted. I felt my cheeks get hot… was that what Hinata always felt in her daily life?

"Oh! That is no problem! We all forget money once or twice, don't we? I'm giving you a _small_ discount this time. It's all on the house, so keep those coins stored inside your wallet, will ya?" – God, I love Teuchi-jichan. In a completely innocent way, of course, _hentais_ … **(Dreamer's brief note: Now Naruto, stop breaking the fourth wall, okay?)**

"Arigato Teuchi-jichan! I owe you something for this one!" – I screamed out loud, high-fiving him.

"Ah! No need! Well, thanks for stopping by, have a good evening!"

"Bye!"

When we were out of earshot, Sakura immediately began to talk, much to my surprise.

"Okay, let's walk a bit more. Absolutely no one can hear this apart from you".

"Hai, where are we headed to?"

"We can choose the most discreet path to the hospital. The one that goes through the forest".

"To the hospital?" – I asked, confused – "Why that?"

"I'll explain it to you on the way…" – she said, with an unreadable expression. Girls _really_ are hard to understand…

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Naruto and Sakura walking in the middle of the forest, their destination is the Hospital of Konoha (Sakura's P.O.V)**

And then, I told Naruto everything. From my parents mistreating me, to _The Document_ , to Sasuke's Cursed Seal rampage. He actually seemed to be quite understanding, which was something that surprised me a bit from someone as childish as Naruto.

"Wow… you sure have been through a lot, -ttebayo…" – he commented, still stunned.

"Yeah… I'm sorry for not telling you any of this sooner… it's just… it's all so hard to me… I mean, they're my parents. The people that brought me to life… and I know how much you wanted to have your parents back… that was the main reason I didn't want to tell you anything—" – I was interrupted by Naruto grabbing my wrist, a sober look on his face.

"You didn't have to think that. I… I do wish I knew my parents, but… you're more than right to not like your parents when they treat you like that. And I'm sure Sasuke would think the same" – I gasped.

"What? Why?"

"Ya know, he is the biggest teme I've ever met in my life, but… he knows the true meaning of pain. He has been through a lot of stuff, too. Sure, he only thinks about training and getting stronger but… I know that he cares for his friends, deep inside".

"Is that so…?"

"Of course, dattebayo! Why else would he wreck an entire office because someone did someone he cared for wrong?" – it was strange… he was right… Sasuke wasn't the reckless type at all. I could probably see Naruto doing something similar, though not that violently, but… Sasuke was way different. He wouldn't do something like that unless he really cared about someone.

"Hai… I guess you are right…"

"Yeah… and I think he likes **you** way more than he admits to…" – I blushed furiously at this. Was he implying that Sasuke-kun… **liked me!?**

"W-What are you saying all of a sudden!?"

"Hey, quit the faking. I've already got it all, -ttebayo!"

"But… how can you be so sure that…"

"I just know it" – he said decisively, his intense gaze never leaving my eyes – "And ya know, if even somebody as clueless as me noticed it, you must have been really distracted lately, Sakura-chan!" – he smirked slightly. Words couldn't even begin to form sense in my mind. Sasuke-kun liked me and Naruto was aware of it before me!? And he wasn't jealous!? In what alternate world had I gotten myself stuck into!?

"Yeah, there are some signs, now that I think about it… But like you said, Sasuke-kun cares deeply for his friends… maybe he thinks of me as just a regular friend, ne?" – I said, faking a small smile.

"He doesn't, Sakura-chan!" – he shouted, suddenly frustrated… Well, good job upsetting your annoying yet strangely wise teammate, Sakura! – "Just face it for once, will ya? He likes you. Period".

"But… what should I do about it?" – I asked, sincerely not having about what to do with my life.

"Well, I'm no expert in this stuff but… I think having a face-to-face talk with him would do" – he said, scratching the backs of his head in embarrassment. Since when was Naruto a relationship adviser? Was I stuck inside some weird dream? What the hell was wrong with the world? Ugh, I don't even know anymore…

"Maybe that's what I'll do when he awakes in the hospital…" – I whispered, thoughtful, half unaware of the words that came flying out of my throat.

"Yeah, good… Well, I'm going then. See ya, Sakura-chan" – I sensed a sparkle of sadness in his voice that gradually distanced from me, and only then did I notice what I had said.

"Wait, Naruto!" – I snapped out of my thoughts suddenly.

"Huh?" – he turned around to face me, his blue eyes quite cloudy from the sadness that he – in vain – tried to cover.

"I'm… I'm sorry for talking about this with you… I know how you feel about me and…"

"It's okay. I've known about this for a while now, it's no surprise, really".

"But… aren't you hurt…?"

"Me, the future Hokage of Konoha? Hah! Never!" – he said, with a forced grin.

"Yeah, I am well aware of your famous achievements, future Hokage-sama" – I kinda dumbly tried to cheer him up – "But… are you sure you'll be fine?"

"Hai. Seriously, don't get all concerned about it. I will move on. Now go and get that teme, that you, for some reason beyond me, love so much" – he said, with a small smile that I knew was coming from the bottom of his heart.

"Will do" – I said, while approaching him. When I was standing right in front of him, I wrapped my arms around him – "Arigato, Naruto". I released the embrace soon after, and I rose my head only to find Naruto's cheeks burning red. Maybe I shouldn't have done that… He could get confused. But I wasn't going to let him go without thanking him for everything that he had done for me.

"W-Well, see you Sakura-chan!" – he waved from afar – "And tell that baka I want him to get better soon, so I can smack him for good after all the reckless stuff he has done!" – I giggled discreetly.

"I will. See you, Naruto".

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Sakura entering the gates leading to the Hospital of Konoha (Sakura's P.O.V)**

And there I was, in front of the gates of a building so white it would probably blind me if the sunlight was any brighter. I stepped into the entry, and only then did I notice that Ino and Hinata were standing in front of the door to the hospital, both staring at me, yet not showing the slightest clue of surprise. I tried to hide my true motives for being there.

"O-Oh! Hey Ino, Hinata! What are you doing here?"

"Sakura…" – I heard Ino say, in a way too serious tone of voice for her normal state – "We already know it all".

"K-Know what? What are you talking about?" – I nervously tried to hide my stutter, yet to no avail, praying that she wasn't referring to what I feared she was…

"We know everything about your parents, Sasuke, and the threat" – she said, her expression changing dramatically to that of compassion and pity.

"B-But how!?" – I asked, completely caught off guard – "Does everybody know about that now!?"

It was Hinata's turn to talk. "A few days ago, I came back from a mission with Ino-san at night. While we were on our way to deliver our report to Tsunade-sama, we passed near your house, and we heard your parents fighting with you..." – I immediately knew what she was talking about. The night before I left Konoha for my mission, my parents massacred me with their psychological torture, threatening that if I didn't have success in my next mission, something terrible would happen – "We were immediately concerned, so I activated my Byakugan and I was able to see everything that was happening inside… gomen" – she excused.

"And after this, when we delivered our mission report, we also denounced your situation with your parents" – so, they were the ones who reported on my parents' mistreatment… thank them so much… - "When we heard that you were coming back from your mission today, we tried to keep an eye on you, and well… we were able to see everything that happened today on live, thanks to Hinata's vision".

"So… that was how…" – I whispered, my eyes unable to leave my feet – "I'm… sorry for not having told you this earlier… and thank you for reporting it to Tsunade-sama…"

"It's fine, Sakura-san" – Hinata gave me a gentle smile – "We understand how difficult your position is, and you can always count on us to support you whenever you need".

"Yeah, and we will keep you in the village with us. I'm not sure how, but girl we will" – Ino said, with a comforting smile. With their support, I couldn't but to let a few tears go, jumping to embrace them-.

"Arigato, Ino, Hinata"

"You welcome, Sakura".

For a moment, we stayed there in our group hug, and then I left them behind and made my way into the hospital. I walked into a wandering nurse and took the best of the chance.

"Good evening, could you please tell me in which room Sasuke Uchiha is staying?"

"Oh, Sasuke Uchiha. _That_ boy… he's staying in room 17. He suffered some relatively bad damage in his body…" – I gulped. I really hoped he was fine.

"Arigato" – I prepared to leave.

"Wait" – the nurse suddenly cut me off – "Could you please tell me your name?"

"Sakura Haruno".

"Oh, so you're the Sakura…" – the woman smiled, and I didn't understand why – "You're the only thing he says" – I felt my eyes widen abnormally and my knees weaken. Sasuke talked about me unconscious!?

"R-Really…?"

"Hai. Well then, I'll guide you to the room. Shall we go?"

"Hai"

I followed the nurse to room 17. She opened the door slowly, and I saw Sasuke lying in bed, his whole body covered by bandages.

"S-Sakura…"

 **To be continued…**

* * *

That was the third chapter! I'm sorry this one came out one day later, but I got some important stuff in real life and it just wasn't possible to write in that moment. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it, and thanks to all of you who have supported this fanfiction until now! I read all of the reviews I get, so be sure to send your opinion!

Thanks for reading my fanfiction! Cya! :3

* * *

 **Japanese Phrasebook**

Teme – imbecile, idiot

-san – polite honorific used to refer to someone that you're not acquainted with. It's also a form of a teacher to treat a student, for example.

Hai – yes

Baka – idiot, stupid

-kun – used to treat mostly young males. It can also be used by girls who cherish a certain boy, mainly in a romantic way.

Kumogakure – a fictional Shinobi village in the Naruto universe, ruled by the Raikage. Its English translation is 'Hidden Cloud Village'.

-sama – an extremely polite honorific used only to refer to someone highly respectable such as a boss or a lord of some kind.

-sensei – used to refer to a teacher or an instructor.

Shimingakure – a hypothetical Shinobi village in the Naruto Universe famous for its endless number of civilians and strong military. It was created only for this fanfiction, and it is not canon in the manga nor the anime. Its English translation is "Hidden Civilian Village" (yeah, I know right XD).

Dattebayo – a slang term used by Naruto without any actual meaning in English. He uses it when he's amused, surprised, shocked or angry.

Gomen – sorry

Itadakimasu – a typical phrase used by the Japanese before starting a meal. It roughly translates to "Good appetite".


	4. Chapter 4: The Decision

**Author's note –** And chapter 4 is out! I'm sorry for the late release, but I got sick in the middle of the week and it completely messed up my whole routine, but now that I've recomposed I'm back to writing for good! As always, thanks for the feedback. It greatly motivates me to write more, so keep it coming! In this chapter, there's quite the big plot twist! Right when things seemed to be starting to get slightly easier for Sakura, the worst thing that could happen in that moment takes action…

The rest I leave it for you to read! Good reading.

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V**

I followed the nurse to room 17. She opened the door slowly, and I saw Sasuke lying in bed, his whole body covered by bandages.

"S-Sakura…"

When I saw what he had done to himself, I couldn't help but to shed a few tears. He was a total mess. In some parts of his body, traces of the Cursed Seal marks could still be clearly seen, and his chest was still damaged, even though he had been healed intensively for several hours straight.

"Sasuke-kun!" – I rushed towards him, tears flying out of my eyes. He must have been so hurt… and he was clearly struggling to manage his pain.

"H-Hey…" – I heard him whisper, weakly – "Don't cry…" – my eyes widened in shock. What was wrong with the world? Sasuke defended me in arguments, got in serious trouble for me, hurt himself for me… and now he said my name unconsciously and told me not to cry!? Something was definitely wrong… or maybe, it was only my dreams coming true…

"H-Hai…" – I obeyed – "Are you feeling any better…?"

"Hai…" – I sensed him lying – "Listen… you shouldn't be here. I am alright, and you've got a lot of stuff in your life right now… So just go and deal with them—" – I interrupted him with an embrace.

"No" – I stated firmly – "I can deal with all of it later… Right now, I can't be in peace if I'm not sure that you're safe" – I felt his breaths against my chest freeze.

"You…" – he tried to say something, yet to no avail. I was amazed. Sasuke unable to pronounce words? Yes, there is definitely something very wrong with this world…

"You don't have to say anything" – I tried to comfort him, tightening the embrace slightly. Strangely enough, he didn't seem to despise it. Usually, when Ino or some other of his fangirls hugged him, he would fight it back immediately or just put on a very obvious frown… **but with me, he did everything differently.** He didn't hug me back but… I could sense that he was happy for being there with me. A few moments later, I released the embrace. If the events weren't already strange enough, as soon as I turned my face to Sasuke's, he covered it clumsily in his sheets.

"Ugh… Can't you just listen to me for once…?" – he protested behind the panes. The only part of his face that was uncovered were his eyes, and they… appeared quite overly translucent for the Sasuke Uchiha I knew. I could sense something I had never seen in him before, and I couldn't really put it in eligible words… but I think the closest description would be shyness… The question is: **why?**

"Sasuke-kun, is something wrong with your fa-"

"N-No! It's fine…" – he buried his face even further into the white bed sheets, his eyes revealing sparkles of frenzy. Now **that** was suspicious. But I ended up giving up. I wasn't there to mock him, but to see if he was better.

"Well, if you say so" – I gave in. He huffed in relief. Now that was something we had in common: we were both terrible liars.

"Anyway, I… I'm sorry for what I did to your parents" – he whispered, his face still covered.

"It's okay, you didn't do it on purpose. You were possessed by the Cursed Seal… and honestly, they really had it coming".

"Yeah, but still— "

"It is the truth, Sasuke-kun. In fact, I don't know what could have happened to me if it weren't for you… Arigato"

"…You welcome; I guess…"

Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by a loud, rather violent slam of the door, that opened only to reveal a very nervous looking nurse.

"Excuse me! Are Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha in this room!?"

"It's us" – Sasuke said from his bed.

"My most sincere apologies for this, but you have to get out of here right now! Follow me!"

"Wait, what's going on? And where are we going?" – I asked, completely confused.

"There is no time to explain! Just go after me!" – the nurse nearly screamed, rushing towards the other side of the wall.

"Sasuke-kun, can you walk by yourself?" – I asked, helping him sit on the bed.

"I can do it by myself. Let's just go…" – he struggled to get up, but once he put his feet on the floor, he was walking straight.

* * *

 **Sasuke's P.O.V**

Ugh, I'm not liking the sound of this… All that urgency must have a reason.

But… even though I have so many things to worry about at the moment… I can't get my head out of one specific thought: **Why did my face get warm when Sakura embraced me?** That never happens. I've been hugged before by Ino and other annoying girls, and even Sakura has hugged me when the Cursed Seal awakened for the first time, but… never did I feel like this. There is something very wrong here… But I can't worry about that right now. Who knows what this crazy nurse may want to show us…

We walked for a few minutes through the seemingly endless corridors of the hospital, which was kinda difficult for me, until we finally reached our mysterious destination. It was another patient room. Who were we going to visit?

The nurse opened the door, only to reveal the people I less wanted to see in that moment. "Excuse me… I've brought the kids".

"Thank you very much" – Sakura's father, who was lying down in bed with his wife, said with fake generosity. When the nurse left the room and closed the door, it all faded away instantly.

"SAKURA HARUNO… YOU HAVE A LOT TO EXPLAIN TO US" – her mother continued, screaming on top of her lungs.

"Mom… Dad… I…"

"YOU KNOW HOW WE ENDED UP HERE, DON'T YOU!? IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR RECKLESS FRIEND WHO BEAT US UP UNTIL WE COULD BARELY BREATH!" – she was starting to get annoying. I tried to control myself the best I could. The worst thing that could happen was the Cursed Seal breaking loose again. I don't think my body could even endure that.

"Mom…! He wasn't aware of his actions! During the Chunin Exams, he was cursed with the seal by Orochimaru, and now its power will awaken when he gets enraged with something…!"

"WHO CARES! ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT HE DAMAGED US PHYSICALLY, AND AS OUR DAUGHTER YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE SEEN NEXT TO HIM!" – damn. That woman really hated me. Guess we're even.

"Calm down" – Tsunade, who until the moment had simply been standing on the corner of the room with her arms crossed, finally decided to speak up – "Screaming won't solve this situation. We have far bigger problems at the moment, and I'd like to mention them, that being said, I strongly recommend you to lower your voice tone".

"UGH…" – her mother bit her lip in frustration.

"Well then. Sasuke, sorry for forcing you to leave your room so prematurely, but something urgent has happened and it couldn't wait for you to recompose properly".

"What is it, Tsunade-sama?" – Sakura asked, her trembling eyes full with doubt and fear.

"The incident somehow reached the earshot of Shimin" – I gasped. How!? How did they find out? That couldn't mean anything good, especially for me and Sakura. I got a terrible feeling about it.

"How did that happen!?" – Sakura screamed in total panic.

"The motives are unknown for now. I still have to talk to their official leader, and when I do we'll most likely know. One of his agents came to my office about half an hour ago and informed me of their knowledge of the case, and that the leader of Shimin demanded an emergency reunion tonight in which you both have to be present".

"What!? They want us to participate in the meeting!?" – Sakura continued, still half not believing the events.

"Hai. Listen, I know that this is all very sudden for the two of you, but we can't risk the safety of the whole village for this singular situation. The meeting is at half past ten at my office, so be sure to be there at that time. Any tasks you may possibly have are dismissed and justified, so there's no excuses. Are we clear?"

"H-Hai…" – Sakura murmured, her head low. Things were starting to get really bad for us…

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Sakura and Sasuke in Tsunade's office, waiting for the leader of Shimin. 10.55 P.M (Sasuke's P.O.V)**

We had been sitting and waiting for the so called Shimin leader for quite a big while. I was very nervous, and I was starting to lose my patience.

"When is that bastard coming?" – I grunted.

"Sasuke, be patient. Shimin is several hours away from Konoha, so it was more than evident that he would come later" – Tsunade explained. That didn't make any sense at all.

"Then why did you arrange the meeting to half past ten?" – I fought back. That idea was beyond stupid.

"Because I wanted to tell you two something… in private" – that woman said the lamest things. Why didn't she speak up earlier?

"Tsk. Sure, let's hear what you have to say now after several minutes of silence" – I said, making it clear that I was being ironic.

"Don't question my methods, boy" – she grunted. Old woman sure has quite the bad temper – "After the day that you gave me, you bet I need a few minutes of silence".

"Whatever…" – I groaned.

"So, what did you want to tell us, Tsunade-sama?" – Sakura asked.

"I need to warn you of something. The leader of Shimin is one of the most ruthless and cunning men to ever breath the air of this world. He will try to do everything to his power to ruin your lives in some way, so my advice is: stay calm, and don't think with your heart around him. Answer the most politely that you can, and for God's sake don't scream or resort to any kind of violence. If anything of that nature happens, he'll be sure to crush your lives for the rest of your lifetime. Don't forget that".

I struggled not to say that I would act however I wanted, be it either with or without the Shimin leader around. I ended up engulfing those thoughts. I wasn't afraid of him, but of what he could do to Sakura… **Ugh, I'm thinking that again…**

Suddenly, the door was opened only to reveal a rather tall figure in traditional clothing, followed by what appeared to be his servants. There was no doubt. He was the man.

"I see everyone is already here… except for the parents of the lady, who I assume are still hospitalized…" – he stated, with a smirk – "My most sincere apologies for my late arrival".

"Good night, Fushiku" – Tsunade saluted. That guy had only said a few words, but I was already sure that he was an imbecile.

"And I assume those are our special guests…" – he turned to me and Sakura – "Please, tell me your names".

"Sakura Haruno…"

"Sasuke Uchiha"

"Then, I am not mistaken" – he grinned in a gruesome manner – "Shall we take our seats and start this assemble?" – the three of us nodded in agreement, and the reunion started once everyone in the room had taken a seat.

"So, Tsunade, having the version of the events told by one of my _agents_ , I'd appreciate you tell me how it all happened in your point of view" – Fushiku locked his hands, placing them to cover his mouth.

"Agents?" – Tsunade said, suddenly surprised – "What do you mean?"

"I see you're quite skilled in changing the theme of a conversation. I'll let that pass this time" – who does this guy think he is? Konoha could crush him and his miserable little village in seconds if it was the Hokage's wish. Tsunade ignored his comment, but I could tell that she didn't like his tone either.

"If that's so, please proceed to explain yourself".

"Yes, if that's what you were wondering, I do have spies infiltrated in your village" – he said fearlessly, with a crooked smirk.

"How can you say that with such facility!?" – Tsunade snapped – "Do you know what this could mean for the alliance between Konoha and Shimin!?"

"Oh, I am well aware, Lady Tsunade. So if you don't want something bad to happen to your precious little village, you better lower your voice tone and start explaining everything in your perspective" – I clinched my fists. I was struggling to not punch the hell out of him.

"Be careful with the words you pick, Fushiku. Shimin has good military, but not enough to face off against one of The Five Shinobi Nations in battle. Consider withdrawing your phrase".

"I have nothing to withdraw, thank you very much. But right now, we have another theme to discuss, and I would like to get it conferred as soon as possible".

Tsunade ended up giving in, and explained everything that had been happening with Sakura and her parents, how they treated her, their decision for her to leave for Kumogakure and how I had damaged them under the effect of the Cursed Mark.

"I see" – he stated, at the end of the storytelling – "Everything matches the version told to me by my particular spy. That being said, I consider this is indeed what really happened today's noon".

"I've already gave you the full story, Fushiku" – Tsunade said – "Was there anything else you wanted to debate?"

"Hai. There is another thematic I want to discuss…"

"What is it?"

"The issue with the emigration of Sakura Haruno, a descendent of civilians of Shimin" – he concluded. Sakura bit her lip in worry.

"Let's discuss that matter, then" – Tsunade accepted, frowning.

"Sakura Haruno's parents: Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno, want to send their underage daughter away to Kumogakure to work as a servant of the Cloud Council. Her birth date being 28th March and today being 3rd May, she is approximately 11 months away from the international legal age, which also grants her full independence from her guardians… Having all of this information in consideration, I have officially taken my decision as the leader of Shimingakure".

"What is your decision, Fushiku?" – Tsunade asked, almost in panic.

"Sakura Haruno will indeed move to Kumogakure…"

"What!? No! Please don't that! I'm begging you, Fushiku-sama!" – Sakura screamed out of despair. I needed to have some major cold blood to do it, but…

"Shut up" – I said, my eyes never leaving hers. She couldn't panic now. She would only be encouraging Fushiku to go further with his decision, and that was the worst thing to do. I could see her despaired face being overwhelmed by a saddened expression, and it hit me like a train. Yeah, I am that good at treating troubled people… I'm such a jerk.

"Calm down, Sakura Haruno" – Fushiku said. Apparently, he had been interrupted by Sakura's despaired cries. He better come up with something good… - "I have yet to finish my sentence, so if you would, let me talk".

"H-Hai…" – Sakura said, some tears of emotion still trembling in her eyes.

"Sakura Haruno will have to move away to Kumogakure, **unless Sasuke Uchiha leaves the village instead".**

"What!?" – was our collective stunned answer. Basically, he wanted someone to leave Konoha, no matter who it was.

"Why is that so!? What does Sasuke have to do with this situation!?" – Tsunade asked, indignantly.

"Everything, Lady Tsunade" – he said with an evil smirk – "He one of the two survivors of the now nearly extinct Uchiha clan, one of the legendary clans of not only Konoha, but the whole Shinobi world. His participation in the damage of two of our civilians automatically makes him an enemy of Shimin. It doesn't matter if he was conscious of his actions or not, it is what it is".

"But… what do you intend to do with him?"

"Oh, just a small punishment" – he said with an evil grin. I couldn't see anything good coming from there – "If he leaves Konoha, my spies will pursue him around the world, trying to kill him" – I gasped. That guy was going to ruin mine _and_ Sakura's lives!?

"No! That is unthinkable! I demand another solution!" – Tsunade tried to reach an agreement, much to no avail.

"There isn't any other solution, Lady Tsunade" – he smiled provocatively – "When I say something, I actually mean it. Never forget that. Oh, and before you kick in for a war because of these two kids, I must remind you that Shimin is allied with Iwagakure, also a member of The Five Shinobi Nations you so proudly belong to" – Tsunade's frown deepened – "Now tell me, you wouldn't want any kind of trouble with Iwagakure _and_ the Shimin army, would you?"

"We are not here to start a war, Fushiku. This case has to be solved, but I'm not about to allow one of my villagers to get out there and be slashed in half by your soldiers!"

"Well, then it looks like we have come to reach an agreement" – he smiled – "Sakura Haruno will leave Ko—"

"No" – I said, almost not thinking it over – "Sakura Haruno is **not** leaving Konoha. I will go outside instead".

"Sasuke-kun!" – Sakura screamed, on the verge of tears.

"Enough, Sakura. I'm going" – I answered her, trying to make it look like I didn't care.

"It seems we have a turn of events. The Uchiha boy wants to leave the village in the girl's place… Isn't it just lovely?" – I felt my cheeks starting to get warm, but fought it back and returned to my confident stance.

"Sasuke, what are you doing!?" – Tsunade asked, not understanding my motives.

"I accept his proposal" – I simply replied – "If leaving the village will keep Sakura in Konoha, then that's what I will do" – Tsunade just stood there with her mouth open, possibly not even knowing what answer she should come up with.

"Don't deny the boy, Lady Tsunade. He's willingly accepting my exigencies, and I greatly appreciate that" – his evil grin never leaved his lips – "I'll have that in account when I _give orders_ to my agents" – I sweated upon hearing his words. I knew that by _orders_ he meant attempts to murder me…

"Sasuke… are you sure of this?" – Tsunade asked me, as if she had just lost a bet. Typical, I guess…

"I am. My decision has been taken" – I assured her with all the confidence that I could put together in my throat.

"If that's so, I guess the assemble is finished. We have found a solution for the problem in question, and now everything is on good terms" – I could see Tsunade biting her lip and Sakura struggling to keep her tears inside. That last sight hurt me. It hurt me when I saw Sakura down. For a split second, I swear I would have rushed to her and just hugged her, to assure her that everything would be alright. Only then did I realize the mindless thoughts that were rushing through my head. **Me?** Me **wanting to hug Sakura?** I might as well have caught a fever…

Fushiku and his councilors left the room without another word, closing the door behind them. As soon as they were out of earshot, Sakura started screaming like a machine gun.

"Sasuke-kun! What did you do!? They're going to kill you outside! You will never be safe out there! And I don't want to be left alone without you! Please don't go… I can't live without you! – upon hearing the last part of the sentence, my cheeks got warm again and I felt something strange building up in my chest… **my heart was beating at a rhythm it had never beaten before.**

"S-Sakura…" – I found it hard to express myself. Confusion was totally consuming me. Not only couldn't I talk, but I also couldn't think. What a strange feeling… this has to be some symptom of the Cursed Seal…

"Please, Sasuke-kun! I am begging you! I can't just let you go and watch you die when this was all my fault in the first place! I can't allow you to do that!" – only then was I snapped of my confusion.

"No, Sakura. There is nothing you can do. I am going, and no one will stop me, not even you".

"B-But… How are you going to survive alone…?"

"I can take good care of myself" – was my quick answer – "Don't worry about me…"

"Of course I worry about you! I can't just let go of the person I lov—" – I didn't allow her to finish. And when I figured out what she was going to say, **I regretted it.**

"Enough, Sakura. You have far more important things to be concerned about right now. Go and check on your parents".

"B-But…"

"I'm going now" – I simply said, closing the door behind me.

"Sasuke-kun!"

I left her with Tsunade and made my way to the ground floor, then off to the outside. I breathed some fresh air and it seemed to calm me a bit. It had been quite the day… I was needing a good night's sleep, and it sure wasn't going to be passed in my hospital room. I guess they won't notice my absence anyway… **gives me time to think.**

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V**

I couldn't believe what had just happened. Sasuke had given away his own safety for me… And willing to die if it meant keeping my comfort? Now that I couldn't understand… Sasuke never cared about me. He always thinks about himself and how he needs to get stronger to avenge his clan… Yet he protects me like this? I seriously don't understand boys, never mind **Uchiha** boys… I was panicked. I didn't want to live on without him. This might sound crazy but… right now, he's the person I love the most in the entire world. My parents? They've long since loved me. My family? All civilians proud of their cruel, senseless legacy… Yes, it is true. Sasuke is the only one in my heart.

I went to the hospital to visit my parents, as Sasuke suggested, but it only ended in them yelling at me, as usual. I left them behind and went off to my now desert house. I had thought about sleeping over at Ino's, but that would make her parents suspect me, and it was too late now anyway. I opened the door to my house, and rushed into my bedroom. I lied down in bed and slowly fell asleep to the thoughts of Sasuke, and how he was feeling at that very moment.

* * *

 **Sasuke's P.O.V**

When I entered my house, I couldn't fall asleep. Damn, at that rate I was definitely going to get insomnia… but my thoughts were with Sakura. Of all the things that I was going to leave behind, the one that hurt me the most was having to abandon Sakura. Why? Why does she matter so much to me? It's not like I love her or anything…

Wait, what was that!?

And then I realized it. I was in love with Sakura. That made sense. Always protecting her, caring for her… of course… how stupid of me for not realizing it sooner…

 **I love Sakura…**

 **To be continued…**

* * *

That was the fourth chapter! A lot happened this time! Once again, sorry for the late release. The next chapter will be the epilogue, and God will it have a twist! Be sure to check it out next week!

Thanks for reading my fanfiction! Cya! :3

* * *

 **Japanese Phrasebook**

Teme – imbecile, idiot

-san – polite honorific used to refer to someone that you're not acquainted with. It's also a form of a teacher to treat a student, for example.

Hai – yes

Baka – idiot, stupid

-kun – used to treat mostly young males. It can also be used by girls who cherish a certain boy, mainly in a romantic way.

Kumogakure – a fictional Shinobi village in the Naruto universe, ruled by the Raikage. Its English translation is 'Hidden Cloud Village'.

-sama – an extremely polite honorific used only to refer to someone highly respectable such as a boss or a lord of some kind.

-sensei – used to refer to a teacher or an instructor.

Shimingakure – a hypothetical Shinobi village in the Naruto Universe famous for its endless number of civilians and strong military. It was created only for this fanfiction, and it is not canon in the manga nor the anime. Its English translation is "Hidden Civilian Village" (yeah, I know right XD).

Dattebayo – a slang term used by Naruto without any actual meaning in English. He uses it when he's amused, surprised, shocked or angry.

Gomen – sorry

Itadakimasu – a typical phrase used by the Japanese before starting a meal. It roughly translates to "Good appetite".

Iwagakure – a fictional Shinobi village in the Naruto Universe, ruled by the Tsuchikage. Its English translation is 'Hidden Stone Village'.


	5. Chapter 5 - Epilogue: See You Again

**Author's note –** And here's the last installment to my first fanfiction: Forbidden! It's been quite the journey for me, even though the story itself was short. It was my first try at publishing a fanfiction, and I must say it went way better than I first expected! I can't possibly thank enough all of you who have supported this story until now, and I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did writing it!

More information will be added at the end of the page, so just go ahead and read this final chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

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Both Sakura and Sasuke were unable to close their eyes that night. All they could think about was each other's well-being, and how things would turn out after the decision that the Uchiha had thoughtlessly done. Sakura sat in her bed, gazing at the star-filled night sky, her thoughts lost between all of her recent troubles and Sasuke's fate. She was going to lose him forever… He wouldn't be able to return to the village ever again. And that wasn't even the worst part. What if he died at the hands of the agents of Shimin? Nothing good was to follow, and that worried Sakura sick.

Sasuke wasn't any better. Staring at the dark clouds that slowly covered the beautiful, light-filled moon, he pondered whether clouds were also trying to ruin his life in a deeper meaning. Upon thinking of the word 'darkness', he came to a shady conclusion.

'I know exactly how I can survive outside with the Shimin agents pursuing me…' – he thought, his body suddenly freezing – 'And it will be two birds in one stone…' – at this, Sasuke smiled eerily – 'If I use Orochimaru for training for a few years, not only will I be avoiding the Shimin assassins, but I'll also attain the power required to kill Itachi once and for all…'

And then he decided it. He was leaving Konoha the following night.

* * *

 **Sakura's P.O.V – The morning after the meeting with the Shimin leader**

I couldn't sleep all night. I was too worried thinking about Sasuke and how I was going to save him from his dark, twisted fate. He wasn't going to make it out alive. I couldn't allow the person I love the most in the world to just simply die before me without at least trying to do something! But… on the other hand, I don't know how I can help him out of this at all… It would be easier if he had been forced to do this… but he did it willingly. Oh, Sasuke… who can understand you? It's not me, for sure…

I stood up from my bed. It didn't cost me because I wasn't groggy from sleeping. The dark circles in my eyes, however, were a clear hint of how I hadn't slept at all the previous night. Trying to fight back the tiredness that I felt, I walked into the kitchen to see if there was anything for me to have for breakfast. Nothing. My father ate for a hundred men, and my mother had to buy food every day because of his boundless hunger. Without them in the house, I was left with nothing to eat. Not that I really missed their company, though. I was going to have to eat breakfast at some eatery or something. That way, maybe I could find Sasuke or ask someone about him.

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Sakura eating at a restaurant. She is having a bowl of fried rice, but she isn't eating any of it (Sakura's P.O.V)**

I could barely eat. My stomach screamed for something to eat, but my mind refused to conform to the rumbling noises. Ugh, that had to be worse than a hangover…

"Oh, good morning Sakura-san" – I heard a familiar male voice behind me. I turned around to see who it was. It was Lee, who was dressed in his duty outfit even though he was free of missions. I guess that was just his ferocious inner green beast speaking louder.

"Good morning, Lee-san" – I greeted him in the same polite fashion – "Came down for breakfast?"

"Hai" – he replied – "A Shinobi has to eat a very rich meal to start the day with energy, so that it can put more effort into its training! – he continued, with his usual liveliness. I giggled subtly.

"You can sit with me if you want" – I invited him, pointing at the free chair beside me.

"Woah!" – he nearly screamed – "Sakura-san is inviting me to have a romantic breakfast with her **willingly!?** Today sure is shaping up to be a great day!" – I sweat-dropped. I guess Lee will never change…

He ordered a gigantic meal full with all kinds of vegetables and fruits, and began to swallow it all down while I took small bites off my rice bowl.

"So, Sakura-san, I haven't heard much from you lately. How have you been?" – I sighed discreetly.

"Just life" – I lied – "I came back from a mission yesterday, and spent the rest of the day relaxing".

"Very good, Sakura-san. After an exhausting mission in which I profoundly believe you had success, relaxing is also part of training, you know! You can only avoid really painful physical breakdowns with resting!" – he made sense, but I wasn't in the mood to listen to his training lessons…

"So… huh, what about you? Have you had a lot of missions?" – I asked, trying to make short talk.

"Hai! I came back from a mission today, before the sun even rose in the horizon! It was a B-Ranked mission, but we all dealt with it well!"

"Oh, is that so? What was the mission?" – I asked out of curiosity.

"The leader of Shimingakure" – I nearly choked – "announced that he was departing for a top secret location, and he entrusted us to watch over the village, and if needed, to protect it from any potential enemies during his absence".

"I-I see…" – at that point, I just wanted to get out of there, so I began to eat my rice much faster. So fast, I was surprised I didn't choke on it.

"Well, have you seen Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun lately?" – great. He _had_ to ask that.

"Yeah, I saw them both yesterday while I was roaming around the village".

"Oh, that's good. How were they?" – luckily, I finished my meal before I had to answer that question.

"Hum… sorry Lee, I have to go right now. I just remembered something I have to do. See you around" – was my quick, completely implausible excuse.

"Oh, okay! See you sometime, Sakura-san! – he screamed on top of his lungs, waving.

I moved away from there, in hopes no one I knew would cross paths with me and ask me the same awkward questions. But because I'm oh so lucky, I came across Shikamaru.

"Oi, Sakura" – he said in his usual bored voice.

"Oh, hey Shikamaru" – I replied, faking my best interested voice.

"So, what are you doing out here so early? Came from a mission?"

"No, actually I returned from my last mission yesterday. I just couldn't sleep more, that's all".

"Meh, too bad for you. If I were you, I would have just slept through the whole morning, but well who cares…"

Gosh, Shikamaru was always the same bored _and_ boring guy… But then, I got reminded of something: Shikamaru was the most intelligent Shinobi in all of Konoha, and probably the universe.

"Huh… Shikamaru?"

"What is it?"

"Actually, I need to find Sasuke, but I don't know where he is…"

"I don't know about that boring guy either. Well then, gotta go. See you 'round".

"Hum… see you around…" – I tried to hide the deception that I felt, but I think I wasn't being that believable.

Suddenly, when I thought I had lost my chance, Shikamaru stopped walking, his face not facing mine.

"Listen, I have no idea 'bout where he is right now, but at night he will be roaming around the forest near the gates" – was his simple answer. I can never stop being surprised by this guy.

"Arigato, Shikamaru… but how do you know?"

"No big deal. Just a deduction" – I sensed him smirking. Well, that was one strange guy: so boring, yet so interesting.

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Sasuke roaming around Konoha at night, near the forest next to the gates (Sasuke's P.O.V)**

That was the big moment. I was going to leave it all behind, but it was for a good cause. By leaving Konoha, not only was I going to achieve my so desired revenge, but also Sakura's safety, which to me mattered far more than my own well-being. I had already packed everything I needed for my travel to wherever Orochimaru was. Everything was nicely done and ready. **The only thing missing was my own will** , but I was going to force it if needed.

As I hesitantly walked through the gates and dived into a green area, I felt someone creep behind me. I turned around to see who it was. It was Sakura. Of course it had to be her…

"Sasuke-kun… So you're actually going…"

"Hai. I'm all set now" – was my quick reply. I didn't want to seem too emotional, or it would hurt her even more.

"Please… can't you reconsider this…? There's still time…" – she weakly suggested.

"There is no time. My decision has been taken" – I coldly responded, never facing her. I could sense her sadness, and it was almost suffocating.

"You're going to meet up with Orochimaru, aren't you? You're going to pursue power, so that you can have your revenge…" – how the hell did she know?

"I am".

"Are you ever going to come back, Sasuke-kun…?"

"I don't intend to" – was the coldest I could sound. I heard her sniffing.

"Then… let me go with you…!" – I was almost stunned at her proposal – "If helping you with your revenge is the only way I can be next to you, then so be it…! I'll help you!"

"No, Sakura" – I responded huskily, trying to break the ice that had formed in my throat – "You don't have anything to do with my revenge".

"But… but what about the Shimin agents…?" – her voice was trembled, like she was about to cry – "They're going to kill you if you travel around all by yourself…!"

"I can kill them alone. I don't need your help…" – I struggled to sound cold and ruthless, but the last part sounded quite too emotive for my own taste.

"But… but…"

"I'm going now" – I began to walk slowly towards the forest ahead of me, but I was stopped by Sakura holding my back.

"No! Don't go! I can't let you go!"

"Sakura… leave me—"

"No! I won't leave you alone! I can't leave you alone, Sasuke!" – this time, I was sure she was crying, and that just made me feel worse – "I can't live without you! My life has no meaning without you around!"

"Sakura, just sto—"

"I love you, Sasuke!" – my heart stopped beating for a split instant – "I love you so much, but you can't see it! I can't imagine my life without you… I get scared just to think of all the days, weeks, months, years without having you with me! Maybe… maybe I won't ever see you again…! That's why I'm not afraid to leave it all behind too if it means I can stand by you every day of my life" – I was shocked, speechless even. Suddenly, all the ice that I felt in my chest suddenly melted and after that I just couldn't control my mouth.

"You're so annoying…"

And before I knew it, I was face to face with her… **and lips to lips with her.** What the hell was happening? Why was I doing that? I didn't even know, nor did I care. It felt strangely good to do it, and Sakura didn't seem too bothered about it either. After some instants, I let go off her. It was getting out of hand, and my cheeks were getting out of color. For a while, we just stood there, gazing at each other's eyes. In Sakura's watered eyes, I could see a sparkle of joy.

"Sasuke…kun…" – she seemed out of breath. So was I.

"Sorry for that" – was my instant answer that I didn't even think up.

"You don't have to be sorry" – she answered, smiling slightly. It always warmed my chest when I saw her smile.

"Listen, don't take this as a promise, but… Once I achieve my revenge and the business with Shimin is settled, I'll come back to you".

"Hai… I believe you. I'll wait for you, Sasuke-kun" – she smiled weakly. I could see that she was still sad about me leaving her behind.

"I'll see you again one day. I know that" – upon saying this, Sakura approached me and we kissed again, this time more tenderly. Not that I minded.

* * *

 **Scene Skip – Ten years into the future (Sasuke's P.O.V)**

I woke up startled at the middle of the night. It was all just a dream… a quite overly realistic dream to say the least, since everything happened exactly like that ten years ago. After leaving Konoha behind, I trained under Orochimaru and learned the art of the sword, and how to mix it with chakra-based techniques. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and Sai tried to take me back to Konoha countless times, but I simply defeated them every time, because I had yet to fulfill my revenge and kill Itachi. Not long after their attempt to rescue me, Orochimaru tried to take my body to resurrect in it, but I slashed him in half before he had the chance. Then, I found Itachi and killed him in battle, but it turned out that the Uchiha Clan Massacre was ordered to him as a mission given by the Konoha officials, and if he didn't do it, it would cause a civil war. Upon learning this, I allowed myself to be consumed by hatred, and it awakened my Mangekyo Sharingan… and my will to destroy Konoha. At that time of my life, I only saw revenge, hatred, and darkness. My heart sunk into a state of evil that even my friendship with Naruto and my love for Sakura couldn't defeat. In an occasion, I even tried to kill Sakura… nowadays, it is probably the sin that I regret the most. Then the Fourth Great Ninja War broke loose, and the whole Shinobi world allied to confront Madara Uchiha, a legend revived by the Edo Tensei, and Obito Uchiha, who pretended to be Madara Uchiha behind a mask before the big revelation. Both Obito and Madara were defeated, but then an even more dangerous enemy appeared: Kaguya Otsutsuki, mother of Rikudo Sennin, who himself was said to be the father of all Shinobi. She was so strong, that Rikudo appeared and granted me and Naruto his endless powers, which allowed me to awaken the Rinnegan in my left eye. After the end of the war, I revealed my true intentions of ruling the Shinobi world my own way, and Naruto and I fought our final battle in the Valley of the End. Things ended surprisingly well, with both me and Naruto surviving, but with me losing my left arm and Naruto losing his right arm. At the end of the battle, we made up and with the help of Kakashi, who became the Sixth Hokage, I was able to live on without being arrested for my sins and crimes against the Shinobi Alliance. My contribute in the war also ultimately stopped the Shimin agents from going after me, and Sakura's parents ended up returning to Shimin, leaving Sakura in Konoha as a legal aged Kunoichi. Naruto and Kakashi even invited me to live in Konoha again, but I refused their proposal. I wanted to see the world that I hadn't seen so far with my own eyes, and learn how to correct my mistakes and turn the world into a better place. Sakura was sad about seeing me depart again, but I promised her that I would be back…

And now here I am. In bed with my wife, who is carrying my future child in her belly.

"Sasuke-anata…? Is something the matter?"

"Sorry… Didn't mean to wake you up".

"It's okay" – she snuggled closer to me – "Did you have a dream?"

"Hai. A very familiar dream" – I smirked. Good thing it was all dark in the room.

"Oh, is that so? What was it about?"

"I just dreamed up all that happened ten years ago, exactly like it actually was. You know, before I committed all those sins…"

"I see…" – she immediately understood what I was referring to – "How did you feel?"

"…Who cares…"

"Ugh, Sasuke. You're always the same, even now that we are married".

"Okay, fine. You win this round, I guess… I _might_ have cringed at that memory, yes" – I looked away from her eyes, even though it was all dark.

"Aww, so you were sad!" – she hugged me like I was some kind of fluffy plush. I seriously can't understand girls even to this very day. Why do they always get so cheesy whenever guys miss them or whatever?

"I thought you had noticed that night…" – was my quite muffled answer.

"I did, but I couldn't even believe it".

"Well, I'm not that evil creature you think I still am" – I grunted.

"Sasuke… You were never an 'evil creature', as you like to call it. You were just blinded by negative feelings. You did a lot of bad things, yes, but look at where you are nowadays. Look at the present, Mr. Uchiha".

"…Guess I can't help but to love this present, Mrs. Uchiha" – I sighed, in utter defeat.

"Good. For that, you deserve a cookie" – I felt her lean closer towards me, and then her lips on my cheek. That was what she always meant when she said 'cookies'. I love cookies.

"Well, this dawn session has been quite good until now, but I believe your pregnant self needs to have a nap right now, or else tomorrow you won't leave me alone".

"Hum… I guess your daddy self is right" – that was embarrassing – "Good night, Sasuke-anata".

"Good night, Sakura".

 **THE END**

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And this was the final (and oh so cute :3) chapter of Forbidden! I can't possibly thank enough all of you who have supported this fanfiction until the end, and even though it was short, I still feel like it was a good first attempt at writing fanfiction! Special thanks to the anonymous user who came up with the main idea of the story, to all of my readers who have contributed in one way or another for this to happen, to my real life best friend who motivated me to chase my dreams, and to Masashi Kishimoto for creating the wonderful manga that is _Naruto._

In the future, I have plans for an original piece of fiction that I've been planning to write for quite a while now, but I'm not sure of when it will actually be released, but expect something to come out in some time!

Hope you all enjoyed my first attempt at writing a fanfiction. If you really liked it, feel free to leave a review! I always read them all, so you can be sure that I will see it ^^

And that was it. Goodbye and good reading!

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 **Japanese Phrasebook**

Teme – imbecile, idiot

-san – polite honorific used to refer to someone that you're not acquainted with. It's also a form of a teacher to treat a student, for example.

Hai – yes

Baka – idiot, stupid

-kun – used to treat mostly young males. It can also be used by girls who cherish a certain boy, mainly in a romantic way.

Kumogakure – a fictional Shinobi village in the Naruto universe, ruled by the Raikage. Its English translation is 'Hidden Cloud Village'.

-sama – an extremely polite honorific used only to refer to someone highly respectable such as a boss or a lord of some kind.

-sensei – used to refer to a teacher or an instructor.

Shimingakure – a hypothetical Shinobi village in the Naruto Universe famous for its endless number of civilians and strong military. It was created only for this fanfiction, and it is not canon in the manga nor the anime. Its English translation is "Hidden Civilian Village" (yeah, I know right XD).

Dattebayo – a slang term used by Naruto without any actual meaning in English. He uses it when he's amused, surprised, shocked or angry.

Gomen – sorry

Itadakimasu – a typical phrase used by the Japanese before starting a meal. It roughly translates to "Good appetite".

Iwagakure – a fictional Shinobi village in the Naruto Universe, ruled by the Tsuchikage. Its English translation is 'Hidden Stone Village'.

Kunoichi - female Shinobi.

Anata – a honorific that roughly translates to 'dear', and is a form of a wife to treat her husband.


End file.
